Beauharnais, EUGENE DE

Beauharnais, EUGENE DE, son of the preceding, was born in 1781, and after his mother Josephine's marriage (1796) with Napoleon, accompanied him to Italy and Egypt. He rapidly rose to the highest military rank; and in 1805 was made a prince of France and viceroy of Italy. In 1806 he married the Princess Amelia Augusta of Bavaria, and not long afterwards was created Prince of Venice, and declared by Napoleon his adopted son, and heir of the kingdom of Italy. Although his political power was much limited, he conducted himself in Italy with great prudence, energy, and moderation, and throughout his life maintained an honourable and virtuous character. His military talents were great, and were displayed particularly in the Italian campaigns, in the wars against Austria, and in the retreat from Moscow, in which he divided with Ney the honour of saving the French army from total destruction. The victory of Lützen was decided by his conduct in that battle. Napoleon sent him from Dresden to Italy, which he ably defended, even after Austria had joined the coalition, and Murat had deserted the cause of the French Empire. In the Hundred Days he took no part; and in the Treaty of Fontainebleau and Congress of Vienna he was allowed to retain his possessions in the March of Ancona; and large sums were granted to him in compensation for his other Italian possessions, with which he purchased the landgraviate of Leuchtenberg and principality of Eichstadt, as Duke of Leuchtenberg taking his place among the nobles of Bavaria. He died at Munich on the 21st February 1824. See the Lives by Aubriet (1825) and Baudoncourt (1827), and his Mémoires et Correspondance, by Du Casse (10 vols. 1858-60).—His second son, MAX EUGENE JOSEPH NAPOLEON (1817-52), who in 1835 succeeded his elder brother as Duke of Lenchenberg, married a daughter of the Emperor Nicholas of Russia; and since 1852 his descendants have borne the name of Romanowski, and ranked among the members of the Russian imperial family.